Category Archives: Bed Bugs Louisiana

Bed Bugs

A few years ago bed bugs seemed like a myth and were only heard of through a nursery rhyme. However in recent years, bed bug cases have been more common and an increasing problem in major cities with international travel continuing to rise and the 1972 ban of DDT. It is not uncommon to find bed bugs even in nice hotels. Because bed bugs disfavor bright light, they are mainly active at night. Bed bugs have a tiny flat oval body which allows them to hide easily.

Waking up with itchy or bruised skin is a common sign of a bed bug problem. Although they are called bed bugs, they do not just live in beds. Clutter, baseboards, carpeting, sofas and other furniture are all posh resorts for bed bugs. Fortunately, a bed bug problem is entirely controllable under professional care. Using state of the art equipment and techniques, our certified technicians will inspect your homes environment and construction to identify the problem and determine the best course of action. We are committed to providing a quick, affordable, and most importantly, effective solution to your pest problem, and we take every measure to protect you and your familys safety throughout the process. So whether you suspect you have a bedbug problem or just want to make sure you never get one, we have the expertise and training to get rid of your unwanted house guests for good.

Besides gross, bed bugs are nocturnal insects that feed on human and pet blood. They need a blood meal in order to grow and produce eggs. They are about 1/8 inch long and reddish-brown (after feeding) with oval, flattened bodies. During the daytime, they hide in cracks close to where humans sleep, such as voids in mattresses, box springs, bedframes, pictures, baseboards, and headboards. Attracted to body heat and carbon dioxide, they can easily locate humans at night to feed. The only good thing associated with bed bugs is that they do not typically spread diseases.

Usually bed bugs are imported into a home through old furniture, beds, visitors, and luggage from a recent trip. Contrary to the common myth, cleanliness is not a determining factor when it comes to bed bug infestations. All that is required for bed bugs to thrive is an abundance of cracks in which to hide and the presence of warm-bodied hosts. A sure sign of bed bugs is when you see tiny reddish-brown bugs along the seams and crevices of your mattress, small blood stains on your mattress, and most obviously, if you start waking up with bruises and red bite marks on your body.

Continue reading here:
Bed Bugs - Arrow Termite and Pest Control

This is a less-frequently asked question than some, but it comes up surprisingly often. Today someone googled into the site via the query what eats bed bugs?

Put it out of your head! Um, yes, some insects will eat bed bugs, but it really isnt a good treatment plan.

House centipedes have been known to enthusiastically eat bed bugs, a fact which endears them to me. If you see one, you might want to let it live, as it may be feasting on your bed bugs. But keep your distance, a disturbed house centipede can sting you.

Masked assassin (masked hunter) bugs also eat bed bugs, and their presence in the home is said to be a sign bed bugs are present. But I dont know anyone whos seen one. And watch out, they have a nasty bite of their own.

Fire ants are also said to eat bed bugs. Ive heard that the traditional cure for bed bugs in the American Southwest is to throw your mattress on a nest of fire ants. They quickly consume the bed bugs, its said. I believe people really do this, though am not sure how you then get rid of the fire ants and reclaim your mattress. Again, you dont want them stinging you.

I do not recommend seeking out predators as a form of treatment. You cant acquire them in quantity (theres no centipede mail order), and you cant get rid of them once you have them in the home. All of them, en masse, could cause you serious problems.

Sorry to disappoint. Read our FAQ for advice on how to get a PCO who knows bed bugs. Natural solutions such as freshwater diatomaceous earth are a possible preventative, or useful part of a treatment plan. But predatory insects are not a good idea indoors, and anyone who is being bitten or seeing bed bugs should get a PCO in to treat, repeatedly, until theyre gone. Or they will breed, and your problems will be much worse.

More here:
FAQ: Is there an insect that will eat bed bugs ...

What they look like Adults look like apple seeds with legs. Young bed bugsnymphslook like adults, only smaller. Newly hatched nymphs are poppy seed-sized. Eggs are tiny white, and hard to spot.

Where they live In cracks and crevices of bed frames, floors, walls, furniture, electronics, mattresses, and luggage. Wedge themselves into anything, but usually near where people rest. What they do Feed on you as you sleep, but if youre not around they can go over a year without food. Bites look like a rash or weltsor you may not notice them at all. Bed bugs dont transmit disease.

Dont bring home hitchhikers: Traveling? Inspect your hotel room before you call it a night. Examine your luggage thoroughly with each new place you go. Wash and dry clothes with hot water and high heat as soon as you get home.

Freeze it: Bag small items; place in your freezer for 30 days.

Buying used furniture, bedding, clothes? Inspect thoroughly. Wash and dry bedding and clothes with hot water, high heat. Steam is an option, but make sure stuff dries out so it doesn't mold.

Check everywhere: Keep bedroom furniture an inch or two from the wall and a flashlight handy for easier cleaning and inspecting. Bed bug-proof mattress covers and light-colored bedding make them easier to spot.

Remove: Say goodbye to clutter in your bedroom to get rid of bed bug hiding spots. Getting rid of stuff? Cover in plastic so bugs dont fall off and make sure the items are in a dumpster or ruined so people dont take them home.

Vacuum often: Floors, walls, mattresses, baseboards, furniture ... Get rid of the vacuum bag as soon as youre done in case you sucked up a bed bug.

Pesticide options: Leave it to the professionals. Some sprays simply repel bed bugs, spreading them around. Make sure pesticides are labeled specifically for bed bugs. Always read and follow the instructions on the label.

Bed bugs are back! An IPM answer. 388k pdf file

Bed bug FAQs

Bed Bug Fact Sheet at Cornell's Insect Diagnostic Laboratory

Bed Bug ManagementOne Step at a Time! Fact Sheets

Step 1: Inspection, 2.4Mb pdf file

Paso 1: Inspeccin y Identificacin 2.5Mb pdf file

Step 2: Get Rid of Clutter, 244k pdf file

Paso 2: Reducir el Desorden 243k pdf file

Step 3: Vacuum Here, There, Everywhere, 250k pdf file

Paso 3: Pase la Aspiradora por Aqu, All y en Todas las Partes 250k pdf file

Step 4: Clean Mattress and Bed Frame, 216k pdf file

Paso 4: Limpia el Colchn y el Armazn de la Cama, 232k pdf file

Step 5: Heat Treat Everything Thats Safe to Wash, 272k pdf file

Paso 5: Trate con el Calor Todo lo que es Seguro para Lavar, 272k pdf file

Step 6: Make Your Bed an Island, 609k pdf file

Paso 6: Haga su Cama como una Isla, 609k pdf file

Step 7: How to Dispose of an Infested Mattress, 355k pdf file

Paso 7: Cmo Deshacerse de un Colchn Infestado, 355k pdf file

Dealing with Bed Bugs in Multifamily Housing 560k pdf file

Tratando con chinches en Viviendas Multifamiliares 560k pdf file

Prepare for a Visit by a Pest Management Professional 590k pdf file

Preprese para una Visita de un Profesional de Control de Plagas 590k pdf file

Tips for Travelers 530k pdf file

Consejos Para Viajeros 530k pdf file

Presentations

Bed Bug ManagementOne Step at a Time! Step 1: Inspection

Inspeccin y Identificacin Para las Chinches

Bed Bug ManagementOne Step at a Time! Steps 2-7

Manejo Integrado de Plagas Por ChinchesUn Paso a la Vez! Pasos 2-7

Prepare for a Visit from a Pest Management Professional

Preprese para una Visita de un Profesional de Control de Plagas

Dealing with Bed Bugs in Multifamily Housing

Tratando con Chinches en Viviendas Multifamiliares

Tips for Travelers

Consejos Para Viajeros

For Travelers and College Students: Wallet-sized bed bug information cards, 2Mb pdf file. After download, print them using Avery Label 5820

How to Talk to Callers about Bed Bugs, a guide for master gardeners. 220k pdf file

Guidelines for Prevention and Management of Bed Bugs in Shelters and Group Living Facilities.

DDT is not effective against bed bugs, 142k pdf file

Stop Bed Bugs Safely

Pare los Chinches de Cama sin Riesgos

Contact your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office.

... and search our database of online publications.

See the article here:
Bed Bugs - Cornell University

Weve all heard the saying sleep tight, and dont let the bed bugs bite. This statement has never been taken too seriously- until the outbreak of bed bugs this summer. If youre concerned about a possible bed bug outbreak in your home, there are both things to do, and things not to do and well outline them in this article and website.

If youre under the impression you have bed bugs, your first instinct might be to sleep elsewhere. Wrong. Its important to keep the bugs isolated. By going to someone elses house, or even to another bed or couch, theres a high risk that your little bed visitors are going to come along. This would make the treatment to how get rid of the bed bugs even more difficult if theyre spread around.

Dont change anything about your daily routine if youre looking to get rid of bed bugs quickly. Doing everything exactly as you normally would is the most effective way for everything to get back to normal.

Start your own creepy crawler collection. While youre most likely going to want to get rid of the bed bugs altogether, its important to save the bugs that you do find. Youll need evidence of bugs to show any landlords or exterminators. When you do save them, make sure to tape them to a surface where they will be easily visible. Bed bugs are small and often hard to see with the naked eye.

Check your body for any unidentified markings or bites. These bites will generally be small and red, but they can be bigger too. The hard thing about these bites, however, is that not all doctors can identify them. Bed bug bites arent that common, but chances are, any red bumps on your body are from bed bugs and not any other insects. So check any other conditions you might have found online off your list.

Also, dont let yourself fall under the impression that youre the sole victim of bed bug bites. These bites are a type of allergic reaction. Some people in your household may not show any signs of bites. This doesnt mean that they havent been bitten. It could just mean that their skin didnt react to the bites. Keep in mind that bed bugs dont only bite at night, so be just as aware and alert during the day.

Make sure you keep everything in your house just the way it always is. Dont remove any pieces of furniture. Throw nothing away. There are ways for all furniture to be completely restored and cleaned. You dont have to get rid of everything you own to assure that the bed bugs wont return. You dont have to put everything into bags either. With bagging, theres a chance the bed bugs will make their way into the bags. If this were the case, youd be storing bugs away- essentially leading to another possible outbreak.

It is a good idea though to focus on any clothes and bedding in your home. Heat is the best thing for these items. Wash any linens and then place them in a hot dryer for a few hours. Even when you think these items couldnt possibly get any drier, put them back in for a second round. Its better to be safe than sorry. In this case, it would be okay to bag items immediately after to be put away into storage.

Its also important to either do extensive research on how to properly deal with the extermination process on your own or wait for a pest company to come and treat your home. Dont run out to the store and stock up on chemicals without educating yourself. Improper use of chemicals can actually intensify the problem. Exterminators who do not specialize in bed bugs most times do not know how to properly deal with the situation either and can also make matters worse. Make sure that if you opt to hire an exterminator that bed bugs is their specialty and check references. There are only a select few who really understand how to deal with these resillent bugs.

Dont listen to that little voice in your head thats encouraging you to get a bug bomb either. Setting off a bug bomb is one of the worst things you could do. Your bed bug situation could intensify if you did decide to give into this voice of bad reasoning.

More here:
How To Get Rid of Bed Bugs

KANSAS CITY, KS (KCTV) -

A KCK assisted living facility is battling a case of bed bugs.

The Net Giver operates Delaware Highlands Assisted Living, located at North 126th Street and Delaware Parkway, which is a publicly subsidized facility.

The owner of the Net Giver, Jeremy Whitt, says the staff has found bed bugs in three of the residents' rooms, beginning with one room two weeks ago.

"It all depends on the level of severity,"Whitt said about deciding how to handle the situation. "This was a minor incident, and that's not our opinion, but the opinion of (the exterminator) Orkin."

Whitt says the management had Orkin fumigate only the affected room when that first sighting arose. They told maintenance and cleaning staff to keep an eye out but did not inspect other rooms or notify other residents.

"We didn't want to create mass hysteria or confusion with partial information or incomplete information, especially on the first round of this incident," Whitt said.

By Friday staff noticed signs of bedbugs in two adjacent rooms and management stepped up its response, Whitt said.

Monday, Orkin fumigated not just those rooms, but two rooms in every direction on that floor as well as the rooms above and below. Then they began planning how best to inform the rest of the people who live there.

"I didn't know what a bed big looked like so I was kind of curious, said resident Jackie Faught.

Follow this link:
KCK assisted living facility battling bed bugs - WAFB 9 ...